Huge Blow For Manchester United: Paul Pogba Out Of Manchester Derby

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - AUGUST 19: Paul Pogba of Manchester United in action during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Southampton at Old Trafford on August 19, 2016 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Manchester United are set to be without their midfielder Paul Pogba when they face Manchester City in the much awaited derby on Thursday night.

The fixture is one of the crucial games for both the teams as a win for either of the team would help them reach their goal to finish in the top four at the end of season which will also ensure that they qualify for Champions League next season.

The French midfielder, who has been the engine in their midfield this season, was taken off in their 2-0 win against Burnley in the weekend and manager Jose Mourinho has confirmed that Pogba will not be available for their game against City on Thursday.

The news comes as a huge blow for Manchester United as the club have already lost both Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marcos Rojo last week when they played their quarterfinal leg of Europa League at Old Trafford. Zlatan is definitely ruled out for the reminder of the season after rupturing his knee ligaments while Rojo can also miss out the season.

However, the positive news is that both Antonio Valencia and Ander Herrera would be available for selection and could potentially start in the important game which could swing the fate of one of the two Manchester clubs at the end of Thursday night.

Mourinho is not sure whether Paul Pogba have suffered an injury or he is unfit due to the massive amount of football he played for the club this season as he raked up an astonishing 4035 minutes in 47 appearances so far.

‘If he is injured or it’s just super-accumulation of fatigue in the muscles, I don’t know,’ Mourinho said of Paul Pogba’s injury.

Manchester United could also be without Chris Smalling and Phil Jones as the club are facing a massive injury crisis in their defense with Marcos Rojo already injured. However, Daley Blind could play as a central defender if needed in the high profile game as United also have more important games coming up with Europa League clash against Celta Vigo next week.

It remains to be seen whether Jose Mourinho shows his tactical masterclass against his nemesis Pep Guardiola with a limited squad on Thursday at Etihad.

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